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The Wizard of Oz Facebook Game gallery

What parents need to know

Positive messages

Helping others is a central theme. Players help the Munchkins build a thriving town and defend it from attacks by the Wicked Witch. They also help Dorothy repair the yellow brick road so she can get back home to Kansas.

Positive role models

Players receive guidance and encouragement from several helpful characters, including various Munchkins and Glinda, the good witch.

Ease of play

Gameplay is simple to learn, and the game provides a lot of guidance about what to do next and how to achieve goals. The mini-games require some fine motor skills and quick reflexes.

Violence

Players repel attacks by the Wicked Witch’s winged monkeys by clicking them, which causes the monkeys to disappear in an explosion. Players can pick Munchkins up and fling them around; the Munchkins bounce off the ground but don’t seem upset by their treatment.

Sex

Not applicable

Language

Not applicable

Consumerism

Players can spend Emeralds (which cost real money to buy) to speed up the game by instantly unlocking quests, buying exclusive items, refilling energy, and staffing buildings. Pop-ups prompt players to buy Emeralds and invite friends to the game.

Drinking, drugs, & smoking

Not applicable

Privacy & safety

Some privacy concerns. Neighbors are required to staff buildings and complete certain quests, which might tempt players to “friend” strangers on Facebook.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that The Wizard of Oz is a social game played on Facebook. It’s based on the classic 1939 film starring Judy Garland, and features movie clips, authentic character likenesses and voices, and familiar music from the film. Players must download and install the Unity Web App to play. The game is free to play, but players can spend real money to speed up the game. The game requires neighbors, which could encourage the friending of strangers on Facebook.

What kids can learn

Subjects

Language & Reading

following directions

Social Studies

citizenship

Skills

Self-Direction

achieving goals

Collaboration

cooperation

meeting challenges together

teamwork

Engagement, Approach, Support

Engagement

Innovations and robust social features make The Wizard of Oz an interesting addition to the crowded market of building sims on Facebook. Fans will appreciate familiar touches from the film, though they'll also need some suspension of disbelief.

Learning Approach

Kids can learn about following directions, citizenship, and teamwork. To succeed, players must have an engaged network of neighbors to assist with quests and building projects. Kids actively participate in resource gathering.

Support

Gameplay is simple to learn, and the game provides a lot of guidance about what to do next and how to achieve goals. The game might encourage kids to watch or re-watch the movie on which it’s based, or read the original L. Frank Baum book.

What kids can learn

Subjects

Language & Reading

following directions

Social Studies

citizenship

Skills

Self-Direction

achieving goals

Collaboration

cooperation

meeting challenges together

teamwork

Kids can learn about following directions, citizenship, and teamwork. To succeed, players must have an engaged network of neighbors to assist with quests and building projects. Kids actively participate in resource gathering by playing short mini-games such as tapping a button at the right time to chop down a tree. The Wizard of Oz is a highly social building sim that encourages cooperation among friends.

User reviews

Parents say

Kids say

What's it about?

In THE WIZARD OF OZ, players build a thriving town in Munchkinland by constructing buildings; assigning munchkins to tasks like chopping trees, mining rocks, and fishing; and defending it from the Wicked Witch’s flying monkeys. Factories produce yellow bricks to rebuild the yellow brick road and help Dorothy reach the Emerald City and meet her friends the Scarecrow, Tinman, and Cowardly Lion.

Is it any good?

QUALITY

The Wizard of Oz is a typical Facebook building sim with a few twists. At any time, players can slip into “Munchkin Cam” mode and walk through the town from the munchkin’s point of view. Fans will appreciate familiar touches from the film, including the excellent soundtrack, movie and voice clips, and characters that bear the likenesses of their film counterparts. Social interactions are more sophisticated too: players not only have to recruit friends to staff buildings, but receive bonuses based on what level each friend is at in the game. The Wizard of Oz absolutely requires players to have a large number of neighbors who are actively engaged in the game. For example, one quest fairly early on requires a building to have a staff of eight friends -- unless, of course, players are willing to pay real cash to bypass these requirements. You’ll also need some suspension of disbelief as you encounter buildings like the Emerald City Pizza Joint, which are more real-world than Oz. These quibbles aside, The Wizard of Oz’s innovations and particularly robust social features make it an interesting addition to the crowded market of building sims on Facebook.

Families can talk about...

Families can talk about games based on movies. Did the game do a good job of staying true to the spirit of the original film?

Families can also talk about the popularity of building sims on Facebook. Besides themes, what are some of the ways in which this game is different from the others?

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